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How do we get our documents back???

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Mark.Boats
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Posts: 53
Joined: Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:34 pm

How do we get our documents back???

Post by Mark.Boats » Sun May 05, 2013 7:26 pm

Hi All

Been posting in the EEA forum regarding our application...

We submitted in Zagreb and the application was processed in Belgrade

When we applied we were told to submit original documents, as copies would not be accepted.

At my partner's appointment to have her biometric data taken she was asked if we needed any of our original documents in the next few weeks as they would be kept until the decision was made and then be returned.

Fast forward a few weeks and our decision arrives but only with my partner's passport, none of our original documents.

How can we go about getting these back??? We have tried calling the embassy but their telephone line only plays a recorded message telling us to call the same number at the same time we're calling it, weve submitted a request over a week ago by email asking for return of our documents but haven't received any reply.

Getting very frustrated, the UKBA and especially the Embassy in Zagreb are the most inept and useless pile of cretinous shite I've EVER dealt with, at no point have they managed to do anything without being obnoxious, rude, apathetic or entirely uninterested in the jobs they're being paid to do...

We will only be in Croatia for another month or so, and based on our experience so far with the embassy here I hold little hope they'll manage to sort out our documents in that time... :roll:

EUsmileWEallsmile
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Joined: Fri Oct 07, 2011 8:22 pm

Post by EUsmileWEallsmile » Sun May 05, 2013 9:40 pm

keep emailing them. Email any intermediary used...

It can take quite some time before they answer.

Mark.Boats
Junior Member
Posts: 53
Joined: Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:34 pm

Post by Mark.Boats » Mon May 06, 2013 8:48 am

Thanks for that, definitely a case of persistence pays off!!

I'm going to email them frequently, and continue to call them until I get a response.

We've been a bit tied up the last week, but now we can give them a reason to make us go away...

:lol:

Edit to add: I'm emailing the embassy directly, as that was where we submitted our documents, is there any mileage in emailing the dedicated return of documents email address in the UK?

Mark.Boats
Junior Member
Posts: 53
Joined: Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:34 pm

Post by Mark.Boats » Mon May 06, 2013 1:51 pm

Funny how things work...

Literally picked up the phone to call them just now and saw that we had an email about our documents...

Apparently in the ten days between us mailing and today, the British Embassy Zagreb have managed to go so far as to forward our email to Belgrade...


Why do I get the impression "speed" and "efficiency" are not bywords for the UKBA :roll: :lol: :roll:

Mark.Boats
Junior Member
Posts: 53
Joined: Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:34 pm

Post by Mark.Boats » Tue Jun 04, 2013 9:59 pm

Well, it's been another month since we heard anything from them...

Sent another email to the Visa section of the Zagreb embassy

What more can we do, these people are achingly slow!!!

:roll: :roll: :roll:

Mark.Boats
Junior Member
Posts: 53
Joined: Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:34 pm

Post by Mark.Boats » Wed Jun 05, 2013 9:10 am

Finally!! A reply!!!
Dear Madam/Sir,

Thank you for your emails.

When [your partner] applied for her visa we have asked her and told her that all the documents she will put with her application form we are going to keep. By signing the application form on two places she agreed with our terms and conditions and those documents submitted are used only for the purposes of Immigration and for our supervisors to see why her application is issued or refused.

Thank you for your understanding.

Kind regards,

Visa Section
Great, aside from the fact that the website told us to submit original documents, and the person conducting the biometric data process asked if we needed any of our documents "in the next few weeks" as they would be held for that long...

Now I'm planning to start hassling the UKBA in the UK, the embassy here is totally useless... :?

Mark.Boats
Junior Member
Posts: 53
Joined: Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:34 pm

Post by Mark.Boats » Wed Jun 05, 2013 9:50 am

Haha

This is getting amusing now

Having an email back and forth, the "Visa Section" seemed extremely confident that they were keeping our original documents until I pointed out Section 2 of the ECIS Chapter 10

Now it's gone all quiet...

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michali
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Posts: 346
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2012 6:48 pm
United Kingdom

Post by michali » Wed Jun 05, 2013 6:43 pm

I know that when submitting an application for a visitor visa to the UK, we are told to send copies along with original documents as failing to send copies could result in UKBA keeping the originals.

Mark.Boats
Junior Member
Posts: 53
Joined: Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:34 pm

Post by Mark.Boats » Mon Jul 22, 2013 7:18 pm

Quick update, ended up in the Embassy on an unrelated matter, managed to speak to the guy who I'd been emailing, we had an argument, then got down to useful conversation and eventually he agreed to return the documents, given it would be impossible to get replacements...

Collected them when we were in Croatia last week and everything it sorted...

Lesson learned, be EXTREMELY careful giving your documents to the UKBA, you may not get them back!!!!

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